Tennessee football adds commitment from North Carolina WR Nathan Leacock for 2023

Josh Heupel is adding talent right out of Dave Doeren’s and Mack Brown’s backyard, and he’s doing it at a position where Tennessee football is loaded. The Vols have now added another wide receiver to their roster, this time from the 2023 class out of North Carolina.

Nathan Leacock, a three-star across the board out of Raleigh, N.C., committed to the Vols over the Tar Heels. Coming out of Wake County’s Millbrook High School, Leacock stands between 6’3″ and 6’4″ and weighs in the range of 195 to 200 pounds.

This is the second commitment for the Vols at receiver in their 2023 class, following Nashville prospect Nate Spillman, who committed back in March. Leacock announced his commitment to Tennessee football with a video Friday afternoon on Twitter.

What’s so impressive about Leacock’s commitment is how he’s willing to embrace the competition at the spot. The Vols brought in four receivers this past year, and at least two of them, Kaleb Webb and Chas Nimrod, are pure wideouts, and both had four-star ratings on at least one service.

Add in the fact that Ramel Keyton and USC Trojans transfer Bru McCoy could still be on the roster along with the fact that Walker Merrill, Jimmy Calloway and Cameron Miller are two young guys who could also occupy the wideout spot, and Leacock is embracing competition. That’s a big deal.

Since he’s the first commitment from the Tar Heel State in this class, Leacock should be the start of a trend. UNC struggled last year, and the N.C. State Wolfpack can’t last forever, so Josh Heupel should continue targeting that state. Leacock is a great start. Here’s a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, Leacock has great hands and impressive breakaway speed. He is very good at getting the jump on the line of scrimmage, and doubling as a cornerback probably helps him with that. It’s a great trait to have in the SEC.

With this pickup, Tennessee football now has 19 commitments for 2023, and the Vols have seven in the month of July alone, although Leacock is the first since July 10. In the past 30 days, they have picked up nine commitments, so Heupel is on a roll.